The background of the invention will be discussed in two parts:
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to rescue and transportation units and more particularly to such a unit formed of flexible cloth-like material which may be bundled into a compact size for storage.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In emergency evacuation or rescue situations, difficulty is oftentimes encountered due to the location of the victim and the lack of knowledge as to the extent of injuries of the victim. Many times access to the victim for the purpose of administering first aid and removing the victim from confined areas such as mines or caves, below ships decks, in mountainous terrain or isolated areas requires intricate and arduous maneuvering of the victim which may complicate the injuries suffered by the victim. In most of such instances, it is desirable, where possible, to substantially immobilize the victim to the maximum extent possible to prevent complications. One such device for transporting victims is in the form of a substantially rigid basket into which the victim is placed and strapped. However, the utility of such a basket is limited where the opening through which the basket must pass is smaller than the overall cross section of the basket, thereby substantially limiting its utility. Furthermore, such baskets when utilized for mass evacuation by helicopter present a space problem inasmuch as the number of such baskets which can be transported at one time are determined by the amount of space available within the helicopter, and correspondingly when ground vehicles are utilized, the same problem would exist.
In civil disaster situations, such as automobile accidents or the like, conventional cot-type stretchers may be employed, such stretchers generally being employed in conjunction with other blankets and the like where the victims are suffering from trauma/ shock or burns. However, such conventional stretcher units are not readily equipped for restraining the head of the victim, movement of which during transportation could conceivably compound injuries already suffered.
An emergency burn treatment pack is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,986,505 issued to Ronald A. Power on Oct. 19, 1976, including a flexible waterproof outer covering having a pair of interlocking portions with a sterile sheet placed over a resilient foam material with the sheet and the foam being saturated with an aqueous solution prior to placing the burn patient thereon. The outer covering then substantially surrounds the patient in a sterile moist atmosphere. The outer covering is provided with lengthwise loops for accepting poles for carrying the patient. Such a device, however, is not readily usable for evacuation in the difficulty of access situations hereinabove referred to.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved rescue and transportation device.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a new and improved rescue and transportation device for use in inaccessible areas.
It is an additional object of this invention to provide a new and improved rescue and transportation device which substantially immobilizes the body of the victim.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a new and improved rescue and transportation device which provides protection of the victim's body against trauma/shock and burns.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide a new and improved rescue and transportation device which substantially immobilizes the body to create body rigidity for utilizing the body's own weight and physical characteristics for transporting the victim.